Love Ignited
by MrsAC
Summary: Two high school sweethearts, one long year apart, and plenty of changes in between. My o/s for The Perv Pack's "An Officer and a Gentleman Contest." Armyward and Bella. Won "Hottest Serviceward" AND "Judge's Choice"


**An Officer and A Gentlemen Contest**

**Title: **Love Ignited

**Your pen name(s): **MrsAC

**Branch of Service/Profession: **Army

**Pairing: **ExB

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this contest visit the "****An Officer and a Gentleman " C2 Community:**

**(dot)net/community/The_Perv_Packs_An_Officer_and_a_Gentleman_Contest_Entires/76389/**

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**Hello, all! This is my entry for The Perv Packs "An Officer and a Gentleman Contest." I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I have to thank zona and crimsonmarie, the world's best betas. They made my words pretty, and let me know if I got too wordy.**

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**Unfortunately, I still don't own Twilight or these characters.**

**But what I do own is my very own Armyward. ; )**

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"_Distance is to love, as wind is to a flame. _

_It extinguishes the weak and ignites the strong."_

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It's been one-hundred and eighty-three days since I've seen him and three-hundred and seventy-seven days since he left the first time. I've been scared, at times angry, I've been _beyond_ horny, but most of all— I've missed him.

Love wasn't something I expected to find at the age of fifteen. I most definitely wasn't expecting to fall in love with the handsome green-eyed stranger that wore a JROTC uniform. But that's exactly what happened. We had instant chemistry from day one; there was never anyone else for me. Twelve years later, he still makes my heart skip a beat with just a smile.

A lot has changed in the time we've been together. I've watched him go from a sixteen year old high school cadet, to a ROTC cadet at the age of nineteen, and now to a twenty-six year old Army Captain.

I watched him take his oath at his commissioning ceremony, where I helped his grandpa pin on his shiny gold bar. I was there when he was promoted to First Lieutenant and again at his Captains' promotion ceremony.

I saw him start his career as a new infantry platoon leader, scared and unsure of himself at times, but always strong. I saw him take over as a platoon XO, and eventually as commander.

There was never anything else he wanted to do. With the exception of me, the Army was his life. I knew from the day we started dating that being with him would mean making some sacrifices, but he would always be worth it.

His deployment was something we both knew was coming. From the day I met him, I had been prepping myself for the day he would leave. But nothing could have prepared me for the actual experience.

As I watched him walk away from me, I felt like I was being ripped in two. He took the best part of me with him. I was scared for his safety and angry that he had to go, but at the same time relieved that the actual leaving part that we had been building up to for months was over.

I knew I had to be strong, that I couldn't let myself wallow in the sadness, but for days all I could do was sit numbly. There was no doubt that I was proud of him and what he was doing, but it didn't lessen the pain. I didn't want to talk about it; I didn't even want to think about it. I wanted to sleep and forget it had happened because at least in my dreams he was there.

Days passed, I still don't know how many, and finally I got the phone call that allowed me to snap out of the trance I had been living in. I only got to hear his voice for four minutes, but that's all it took. Before we hung-up, he reminded me that he loved me, and promised me that he would do whatever it took to come back to me.

As soon as I hung up the phone, I cried for hours. I allowed myself to release what I had been holding in, because it was the only way I was going to be able to move past it. The tears flowed until I had nothing left to cry and my throat was raw. But when I stopped, it was as if a new me was present.

After that night, I woke-up ready to begin again. Nothing was the same, and all of my routines changed, but I was no longer the shell of a person I had become. The ache in my chest was still there, and would be my constant companion while he was away, but I was living.

I talked to him as often as possible; my phone rarely left my side. Sometimes I heard from him multiple times in a week, other times weeks would pass between calls. If we were lucky, we got to use our webcams, those were always my favorite conversations even though they didn't happen often. The instant that his face appeared on my screen, I felt whole. It didn't matter that the screen was fuzzy, or that we had to reconnect multiple times because the connection was lost. All that mattered was for those few minutes, I could stare into his eyes and see his smile.

Although I loved talking to him and seeing him, it was his letters that kept me going. The first one arrived a few weeks after he left. I tore into like a bat out of hell, tears instantly springing to my eyes as I read his words. I slept with it clutched to my chest that night, keeping him and his words as close to my heart as possible.

The letters continued to arrive weekly, my favorites always included little doodles and drawings of nothing in particular. Sometimes all that was written was, _I love you_ repeatedly on a page, and that was more than enough for me. At the end of each one, he'd remind me that he would reiterate his promise to come back to me no matter what. Those words meant everything.

I always replied to his letters, and once a month I sent my reply inside a care package. I sent him things he needed like socks and his favorite deodorant, pictures and other things to remind him of home, and little items like books and magazines to keep his mind off of where he was.

The Christmas package was his favorite. I included mini trees with shatterproof ornaments and lights, candy canes, hot cocoa, Santa hats, snow in a can, paper snowflakes, Christmas movies, and holiday coffee and creamer. All of the items needed for Christmas-in-a-box. I sent enough for everything to be shared, and also sent him another package with things just for him.

A little less than six months after he left, he was granted two weeks R&R. They were two of the best weeks of our lives. Seeing him again for the first time ignited something in me so new, and so carnal that letting him out of our bed during his time home was difficult. We spent time with his family and mine, but most of the days and all of the nights were ours.

At the end of our time together, it felt like letting him go again would be impossible. Taking him to the airport and watching him leave was excruciating, the pain I felt was only slightly less than the first time. But knowing that his time was over halfway over lessened the blow. Instead of crawling into a hole for weeks, I simply visited that hole for a few days.

Weeks later, I received news that would forever change our lives. As great as his two weeks at home had been, he had left me with the greatest gift of all. I had a constant reminder of our love, and a piece of him that I could carry with me always— at least for nine months.

I kept the news to myself, not wanting anyone to know until he knew. It was important to me and I knew our families and friends would understand why. I sent him a package containing enough bubble gum cigars for his unit and a tiny onesie that read 'My Daddy Wear Army Boots… Doesn't Everyone's?'

Nine of the longest days of my life passed before I heard from him. But his reaction when I did finally hear from him made up for everything. I could hear the smile in his voice as we talked. I did as he asked when he wanted me to put the phone to my belly, my eyes filling with tears as I listened to him talk to our little one.

He wasn't able to attend appointments, or hold my hair back when I was sick. But he was more supportive than I could have asked for. He asked me to send him books so that he could keep up with what was happening both to my body and with the baby's development. I sent him weekly pictures, so he could watch as my body changed. Every time I talked to him he asked to talk to the baby, and even his letters contained a special part that was written just for our little one.

When I reached my twenty week mark, I knew without a doubt that even if the tech was able to determine the sex of the baby, it was something that I couldn't do without him. Instead, I asked her to write the sex on a small piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. I took it home and placed it on the nightstand on his side of the bed, where it could wait until we were able to open it together.

The next couple of months had flown by. Between appointments and spending time with family and friends, who went above and beyond helping me in his absence, I hardly had time to myself. When no one was around I worked on cleaning the house, and prepping everything for his return.

And finally, today was that day.

The fridge and pantry were packed with all of his favorites. The house was cleaner than it had ever been before, and I was a complete wreck. I changed my clothes a million times, wanting to show off the bump and yet still feel sexy. After pacing for what felt like hours, I grabbed the sign I had made for today and headed out the door.

I arrived at the field where the redeployment ceremony was being held earlier than I intended, but smiled when I realized I was definitely not the only one. There were dozens of other spouses, families, and children in the parking lot, as well as some that had already taken claim to seats around the field.

I had hired a photographer from _OperationLove_ to come and take pictures of our reunion. She wasn't scheduled to arrive for a while, and I wasn't even sure that I'd see her when she did. One of her promises was that she would capture the moment without you ever knowing she was there. She knew both of us and she assured me that she would get the picture.

I scanned the growing crowd looking for familiar faces. Alice, who had become more like a sister than a friend, caught my attention and motioned me over to one of the sets of bleachers in the center.

"Hey, Ali! Are you ready for this?"

"What kind of question is that, Bella? Of course I'm ready, I've been ready!" she replied. "I can't wait for Jasper to meet Lucy."

I could feel the energy bouncing off of her as I leaned forward and cooed at the tiny baby in her arms. Lucy was almost four months old and looked exactly like her mom. Her raven hair and expressive eyes sparkled constantly. Getting to know Alice had been one of the things that had gotten me through this deployment. Anytime I started feeling sorry for myself and our situation, I reminded myself of what she was going through.

She found out she was pregnant a week after the guys left. She knew he wouldn't be around for the pregnancy or the birth, but she rarely let it get to her. Instead, she kept herself busy and maintained her regular positive attitude.

When Lucy was born, I did my best to help her out. Her family wasn't able to come, so I spent a few nights with her until she was able to handle things on her own. Even then, not a day passed that I didn't call to check in on the two of them. They were like family.

"Have you heard from him yet?"

"I got a call when they landed but that's it. You?"

"Same," I sighed.

The crowd continued to grow as we sat and talked, trying to distract ourselves during the final excruciating moments. Suddenly the atmosphere changed. It was as if the entire room was electrically charged, the crowd quieted, although the sound of children and a few late comers were still swirling in the air.

Music started pumping through the speaker system, and within minutes, I was lost. The ceremony passed by in snapshots for me. I remember hearing music, I remember seeing tributes to the fallen soldiers, awards were given out, speeches were made, but my mind and heart were focused on one thing. Edward.

Standing in front of his Troop, his eyes scanned the crowd, looking for me. To anyone else watching, he was standing at attention, perfectly still, but I could tell. Only when I saw one side of his lip curve up a fraction of an inch, did I know that he had spotted me.

I did my best to remain calm, and try to refocus my attention on what was going on around me, but it was useless. Instead I focused back on him. Scanning his body up and down, taking in every last detail from the top of his beret to his dust covered boots.

Sitting on the edge of my seat, I waited for the moment when they would finally be released from formation, and then it happened. I felt Alice gently squeeze my hand and then we both shot out of our seats. We had only one mission— to find our men.

All around me people were hugging and kissing. I watched as one soldier picked up her son, pulling him tightly to her chest and rocking him back and forth. He pulled back to reach up and pluck the beret from her head and gently placed it on his own. She beamed at him, and cuddled him closer.

I glanced up from where they stood, and instantly felt his eyes on me. I smiled at him, a smile that felt like it filled my entire face, and he smiled back reflecting the same at me. I tried walking quickly, although it felt like I was crawling, and finally reached him. I stood in front of him for a split second, wishing that I could jump into his arms, but knowing that the baby would cause me to bounce off of him like a paddle ball. Instead, I stepped into his chest at the exact moment his arms moved to pull me in.

The moment we came together, my world shifted into place. He'd kept his promise to come back to me, and now standing here with one arm wrapped around me and the other hand sprawled across my belly, I was once again complete.

His hand cupped my chin and pulled my face towards his, our lips meeting for the first time in months. It was slow and languid, and yet the most meaningful kiss of my life. Because it meant that he was home.

We both reached up to wipe the tears from the others eyes, before we reluctantly separated. I knew he needed to go around and take care of business, making sure that everything was smooth and under control.

We walked around hand in hand for the next couple of hours. All of the wives were listening to stories being told of what their husbands had been through, both good and bad, and enjoying the sense of normalcy we were experiencing.

After things settled down and most everyone was gone, he finally got the signal that we could leave. He lugged his things out to the car, filling the trunk and grinning as he slid into the car.

"What's so funny?" I asked, returning the smile.

"It's just cute to see you with your seat pushed back. That tummy of yours barely fits in here."

"Listen here, Mister," I started, pointing a finger at him. "You gave me this belly, and you're gonna like it."

He reached a hand out and gently stroked the bump. "I most definitely like it. I don't think I've ever seen you sexier than you are right now."

"That's more like it," I grinned as we pulled out of the parking and made our way home.

I glanced over at him as we pulled into our driveway, gauging his reaction. He saw the banner that covered our front door, and shook his head, but I could see the smile that was threatening to escape. He left most of his things in the car, instead hurrying inside. The first thing he did was take off his boots, sighing in relief as he slid them off his feet.

"Come on, there's so much I want to show you," I begged. "I got all of your favorite foods and even rented some movies."

"Good, that means we don't have to leave this house for at least a week."

"I suppose we don't. Your parents aren't coming to visit for two weeks, so _technically_ we could stay here until then," I teased.

"I like the way you think."

"I also got—" I started. My sentence came to a complete halt as his lips descended on mine.

"I've missed you so much, and as much as I want to hear every detail of what's in this house, I can't wait another second to get you in our bed," he mumbled only separating us enough to rest his forehead on mine.

I looked into his eyes, the desire that was pooled there making my knees weak. I hadn't been sure that he would still find me attractive. I thought that the changes brought on by the pregnancy would take some getting used to— I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was the predatory look in his eyes as he silently took my hand and led me towards our bedroom.

"Is this okay?" he asked quietly.

"More than okay," I breathed.

I knelt on the bed and pulled him closer to me. I slid my hands up his chest, running my fingers over the airborne wings and EIB tab that were placed above the words U.S. ARMY. My other hand ran over CULLEN which was velcroed onto the left side of his chest. I hooked two fingers into the v in the neck of his uniform, my thumbs tracing his rank. I was so proud of him and everything his uniform stood for but I couldn't wait to get it off of him.

I slowly slid my fingers down pulling the Velcro open as I went. The zipper was next. I took my time with it, staring into his eyes the entire time. I un-tucked his t-shirt pulling it over his head with his help and then sat back on my heels, taking a minute to just look at him.

He had bulked-up while he was gone, the muscles in his stomach were slightly more defined and my fingers twitched with the anticipation of touching them. I sat back up to do just that, watching as he took a step away from me. My eyes shot up to his in confusion. He had a smirk on his face and he was shaking his head slightly.

He brought his hands to his belt and undid it slowly, taking the time to pull it through each belt loop. He undid the buttons of his fly one at a time, pausing between each one. Finally, he pushed his thumbs into his pants dragging them down his hips, and taking his boxer briefs with them.

He stood before me completely naked, looking entirely too edible. His erection was at full attention, and I couldn't look away even if I wanted too. Everything about this man was perfection. Every dip and ripple of his body made me shudder with need. Unable to wait a second longer, I launched off the bed and towards him. He caught me in his arms and steadied us both.

His lips came down on mine, kissing me slowly and sweetly. His hands made their way to the thin sweater covering my arms, he pushed it down, letting it pool on the floor. Pulling me closer to him, he wrapped his arms around me and slowly trailed the zipper of my dress down, leaving it loose enough that it joined my sweater in a pile. He quickly unclasped my bra, throwing it behind us and smiling down at me. His fingers hooked into the last scrap of lace covering me, tugging them down my hips. I wiggled until they fell, and carefully stepped out of them using him as an anchor.

We stood there, completely exposed, our eyes scanning the other, rememorizing everything. He took my hand and led me back towards the bed. Climbing on, he scooted towards the center and pulled me with him. He sat with his back against the headboard and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap.

I draped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck, and enjoying the closeness that I had been missing. His smell was all around me and I inhaled deeply, smiling as it surrounded me, making me feel more at home than I had in months.

His head dipped down, his lips gently brushing against my cheeks, down my neck, and across my shoulders. He brought his head back up to kiss me again, although this time felt different. It was as if he was telling me a thousand things. It was an "I'm sorry," an "I missed you," and an "I love you," all in one. His tongue massaged mine and I sighed into his mouth as I lifted my hands to put them in his hair, pulling him closer to me.

He pulled back, sliding his hands down my sides, and causing my entire body to ignite. His fingers ghosted across my ribs, coming to stop on my stomach. He looked up at me and smiled a perfectly crooked smile, and my heart melted. A gentle kiss was pressed to my lips before he pushed me off his lap and climbed to his knees. He lowered his head and ran his nose down the same path his hands had just made, stopping when he reached my belly button. He placed several kisses there and then I felt his lips curve into a smile against my skin. His eyes were focused on the skin there as he placed his hands over it, pulling back slightly.

"Hello baby," he whispered, kissing the same spot again. "I'm your daddy."

I didn't notice the tears trailing down my cheeks until he leaned back up and wiped them away with his thumbs. Having him here, being with him like this was more than I could ask for. But hearing him talk to our little one stirred emotions in me that I couldn't even explain, and in that moment, I had never wanted him more.

He sat back against the headboard, once again pulling me to him. I looked into his eyes and saw the same raw desire that I was feeling reflected back at me. Our eyes remained locked on each other as we shifted slightly.

I rose onto my knees as I mumbled, "I need you so much…now."

He guided himself to my entrance, gripping my hips as I lowered myself slowly onto him. The moment we were fully joined could only be described as pure ecstasy, nothing had ever felt so right and we both held still— taking everything in for a few minutes, simply enjoying the feeling of being whole.

Slowly we began to move together, him pushing up as I pushed down. Our hands were roaming over each others bodies with no destination, just the need to touch, to feel. In that moment, it felt like we had never been separated.

His hands fisted into the sheets at our sides, pulling them up in his clenched hands, and I knew he was close.

"I love you…" I whispered as we increased our pace, our movements becoming erratic.

"God…I love you too… missed you so much…every second," he mumbled.

With those words, I felt my orgasm explode just as his warmth filled me. We stayed that way, him clutching to me the same way I was clutching to him. Neither of us ready to separate.

Eventually, I rolled off of him and onto his side of the bed. He rolled towards me, propping his head up on his elbow and smiling down at me.

"Now that— was a welcome home," he teased.

"I'll say."

His eyes drifted around the room and landed on something that made his face pucker in confusion. I turned my head, looking in the direction he was, and saw exactly what it was that had made him stop.

"Do you want to open it?" I asked, unable to contain my excitement.

"Is that what I think it is?"

I scrambled up and plucked the sealed envelope off of his nightstand, and then snuggled back into his embrace.

"You do it," I offered, handing it to him.

He flipped it over and tore it open carefully, pausing when the seal was broken. He pulled the contents out and without looking, gazed over at me.

"Ready?" he asked.

"So ready."

He turned it over revealing a sonogram picture I didn't know it contained. There was a portion of the image circled with an arrow pointing to it and above the arrow was the word—

"It's a boy," he breathed.

"A boy!" I squealed.

He pulled me closer to him, nuzzling his nose into my neck. I felt the warmth of his tears there, mixing with my own as they trailed down my face.

"Are you happy?"

"Happy doesn't even begin to explain it. You've given me everything. You and this little guy—" he said, placing his hand on my belly, "— are everything."

His lips sought mine out again and before I knew it, he was once again inside me, filling me in a way that only he could.

In less than three months we would be parents. But tonight, he was all mine.

_**Two Weeks Later…**_

I opened the mailbox, pulling out its contents and quickly heading back inside. I sorted through each item, stopping short at the large yellow envelop.

I tore into it quickly, tears filling my eyes as I scanned each item.

It was the pictures from Edwards's redeployment ceremony. She hadn't been kidding when she said she would capture the moment. Everything from the looks on our faces to the placement of our hands was perfect.

I looked at the last image and laid it on top of the pile; it was the first one I wanted him to see when he got home.

The image was simple; it was a black and white picture of the two of us kissing. My hands were thrown around his neck, and his hands were on my belly. But it was the text that had been printed on the image that took my breath away. Across the bottom of the pictures were the words:

_Love Ignited_

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**Well there it is, my Armyward. Let me know what you think!**

**Reviews make me happy!**

**-Meg xo**

Here are a few words that are Army specific, just incase there was any confusion:

*** EIB**- Expert Infantry Badge

*** Redeployment Ceremony**- What the Army calls the ceremony at the end of a deployment

* **Airborne Wings**- a tab that indicates the soldier is Airborne, and has completed that particular school.

The title, Love Ignited, came from the quote at the beginning of the story, here it is again:

"_Distance is to love, as wind is to a flame._

_It extinguishes the weak and ignites the strong."_


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